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Vice President Kamala Harris has made an unannounced trip to New York to appear on Saturday Night Live, briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she’s been campaigning with just three days to go before the election.
Harris departed on Air Force Two after a campaign stop on Saturday (Nov. 2) in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once the aircraft was in the air, aides said it was actually going to New York.
Her appearance on the show was confirmed by three people familiar with Harris’ plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them. It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.
Actor Maya Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019 and has reprised her role this season, doing a spot-on impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala.”
Rudolph opened the show’s season premiere with the line: “Well, well, well. Look who fell out of that coconut tree.” And she’s joked about keeping President Joe Biden in his place.
Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, has been played by former cast member Andy Samberg, and Biden is played by Dana Carvey, who also famously played then-President George H.W. Bush in the early 1990s.
Rudolph’s performance has won critical and comedic acclaim — including from Harris herself.
“Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said last month on ABC’s The View. “She had the whole thing, the suit, the jewelry, everything!”
Harris added that she was impressed with Rudolph’s “mannerisms.”
Senior Trump adviser Jason Miller expressed surprise that Harris would appear on Saturday Night Live, given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show.
Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”
Politicians have a long history on SNL, including Harris’ Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, who hosted the show in 2015.
Hillary Clinton was running for president in the 2008 Democratic primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and offered a trademark, exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Do I really laugh like that?”
Clinton returned in 2016, while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.
The first sitting president to appear on Saturday Night Live was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. Ford appeared on April 17, 1976, and declared the show’s famous opening, “Live from New York.”
Barack Obama was still just a Democratic presidential candidate when he appeared in February 2008, and Republican Bob Dole made an appearance in 1996 — a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Democrat Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator on the show.
Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey won an Emmy award. Palin herself appeared on the show that season, in the weeks before the election.
The Billboard Family Hits of the Week compiles what’s new and worth your family’s time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget the mind-numbing scrolling and searching “what to watch for family movie night” … again. The best in family entertainment each week is all in one place, in this handy guide. Isn’t it satisfying to […]
John Mulaney is not up to date on TikTok trends. The comedian is set to host this weekend’s Saturday Night Live episode with Chappell Roan as the musical guest, and the duo appeared in a new promo released on Thursday (Oct. 31). In the clip, the duo stand alongside SNL cast member Ego Nwodim, who […]
A new documentary series chronicling the rise and fall of Ace of Base, one of the biggest Swedish pop band exports of all time, following in the tradition of fellow Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers ABBA and Roxette, is coming this winter.
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Featuring unseen home movie footage and new interviews with members of the band, their business team, music executives, artists and cultural critics, Ace of Base: All That She Wants debuts in full Dec. 5 on Viaplay, a streaming service that hosts Nordic and European TV series and films.
The Swedish quartet — Ulf Ekberg and the siblings Jonas, Jenny and Malin Berggren — first saw success in America with “All That She Wants,” a No. 2 Hot 100 hit and Pop Airplay No. 1, but follow-up single “The Sign” rocketed them to the top of the Hot 100. It was a ubiquitous, era-defining, reggae-flavored dance-pop smash in the mid ‘90s, and remains the longest-leading No. 1 ever on the Pop Airplay chart (it dominated for 14 weeks in 1994).
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Ace of Base scored seven top 40 Hot 100 hits throughout the decade, including “Don’t Turn Around” (another Pop Airplay topper) from their U.S. debut album, The Sign, a repackaging of their European debut Happy Nation that topped the Billboard 200 when released by Arista. Naturally, Arista founder and industry legend Clive Davis is one of the interviewees in this docu-series, which also features sit-downs with Wyclef Jean, Nigerian-Swedish singer Dr. Alban (“It’s My Life”), the group’s manager, lawyer, A&R, bodyguard and one of their backup dancers to provide the full picture of their “warts-and-all” story. Ace of Base: All That She Wants also includes an interview with Billboard executive digital director Joe Lynch, i.e., the person writing this article.
In addition to their own hits, Ace of Base helped crack open the door for Swedish artists such as Robyn and The Cardigans to make inroads in the States — not to mention pop producers Denniz Pop and Max Martin, who would permanently shift the direction of commercial pop in America via their work with Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.
You can check out the trailer below and the full three-part documentary on Dec. 5.
Seventeen years before Justice brought a boundary-smashing stage setup to the Outdoor Stage at Coachella 2024, they were just two young producers from France wondering if their work would ever translate into a real career in live music.
For the duo — Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé — the answer became a definitive oui after their 2007 debut performance at Coachella, which was also their first ever live performance.
Now, the two are looking back on their four Coachella performances — which happened at the fest in 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2024 — in new mini-documentary produced by the festival. The eight-minute visual, titled …And Justice for All: Coachella Edition, is comprised of archival footage and new interviews with Justice, their team and a few of the many people who helped put the show together at Coachella 2024 this past April.
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“I remember after we played our first set we felt so relieved,” de Rosnay says of the duo’s 2007 set in the doc, “because we had spent the four previous years thinking, ‘Maybe we are just meant to make remixes and not even albums,’ and then here we were in the desert thinking, ‘Well, maybe we are actually a real band.’”
The doc puts a special focus on duo’s 2024 performance on Coachella’s Outdoor Stage. Justice and their creative team spent six months working with seven computer scientists to make the show, which they’ve toured the world with over the last six months. The doc features an interview with the group’s longtime technical director Manu Mouton.
The documentary was directed by photographer and filmmaker Connor Brashier, who’s worked on projects with artists including Shawn Mendes, Niall Horan and Kygo. The film was produced by Goldenvoice’s Ike Adler, Mikhail Mehra and David Prince as part of a new initiative at Coachella focused on creating original content.
“As this piece became to come together, I quickly realized I was making this for my younger, nerdy self, who dug for hours and hours trying to find out more about the people and processes behind the iconic Justice shows both past and present,” Brashier tells Billboard. “I hope someone out there is as giddy as I was to see a few of these monumental Coachella performances in HD and meet a small portion of the magician-like talents who played a part in putting them all on.”
Watch the mini-documentary below:
When actor Alison Brie cuts the ribbon on Thursday, Nov. 28, to kick off this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, it will mark the beginning of the event’s 98th year, and will usher in performances from a string of stars from various musical genres.
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T-Pain, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Chlöe and The War and Treaty will be among those performing this year, with the lineup also featuring Bishop Briggs, Kylie Cantrall, Dan + Shay, Dasha, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Ariana Madix, Joey McIntyre, Idina Menzel, Natti Natasha, Rachel Platten, Lea Salonga, The Temptations, Alex Warren, Sebastián Yatra, Charli D’Amelio and Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.
The Radio City Rockettes and the casts of Broadway shows Death Becomes Her, Hell’s Kitchen and The Outsiders will also perform, as will marching bands from colleges and high schools around the country.
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NBC and Peacock will air the parade from 8:30 a.m. until noon in all time zones, with an encore beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Today show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker return as hosts, and the parade will be simulcast on Telemundo and hosted by Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza. The 98th procession will depart from the starting line at 77th Street, march down a 2.5-mile route and arrive at Macy’s iconic Herald Square flagship.
Also making special appearances during the festivities will be Jonathan Bennett, Matt Bush, Tom Kenny, Ginna Claire Mason and Liza Colón-Zayas and members of the WNBA Champions New York Liberty.
More than 5,000 volunteers will be working on this year’s parade, which will include 17 featured character balloons, 22 floats, more than 700 clowns and 11 marching bands.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a beloved tradition that marks the beginning of the holiday season for millions of live spectators and viewers across the country,” Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer, said in a statement. “A dedicated team of artisans and production experts at Macy’s Studios works year-round to bring this experience to life. This year’s 98th Macy’s Parade will create awe with unforgettable character balloons, one-of-a-kind floats and the world-class entertainment only Macy’s can deliver.”
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast is produced by Silent House Productions. Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco, Linda Gierahn serve as executive producers, and Sacha Mueller as co-executive producer.
Jimmy Fallon is the latest guest to take on the Hot Ones challenge, eating increasingly spicy wings as host Sean Evans asks questions. However, it’s hardly Fallon’s first rodeo. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news He often incorporates a Hot Ones segment with Evans on his Tonight Show, […]
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Megan The Stallion is proving she’s not always savage in a new official documentary titled Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words. On stage, she may take on her Stallion persona, but off stage, she is Megan Pete, and on Thursday (Oct. 31), Hotties can meet the woman behind the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping music.
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Produced by Amazon MGM Studios, the documentary gives fans an all-access pass into her life beyond the stage. The feature-length film spotlights her career achievements as well as her personal journey — including the death of her mother, who she regards to as her inspiration.
At the same time, the Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words will also touch on the 2020 shooting by Tory Lanez that the “WAP” shooter experienced. While Lanez was eventually convicted and sentenced to prison, the documentary explores on how Megan Thee Stallion’s mental health took a major blow as social media and even some rappers attempted ruin her reputation.
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Keep reading to learn the streaming options available.
How to Watch Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words Online for Free
You can only watch Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words through Prime Video, which means you’ll need a Prime membership in order to gain access. Since it’s an Amazon Original, current Prime members can instantly stream Megan Thee Stallion’s documentary when you log into your account and head to Prime Video.
Don’t have a Prime membership? Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial for new subscribers that’ll let you watch Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words for free and more exclusive Prime Video content. Once your free trial is over, you’ll be charged the regular subscription fee of $14.99/month or $139/year.
Bonus savings: Adults ages 18-24 and college students can get a six-month free trial and 50% off membership price when you sign up for Prime Student. If you’re a part of a qualifying government program, you could be eligible for the EBT/Medicaid membership that has a 30-day free trial and half-off subscription fee.
In addition to being able to stream Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words online for free, Prime members can look forward to watching Prime Video originals and exclusive content such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, My Lady Jane, Fallout, Jackpot!, The Idea of You, Reacher, Them, The Boys, Gen V and Invincible.
For even more programming, you can also add on premium channels like Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Apple TV+ and Starz through the Prime Channel storefront.
Check below to watch the trailer of Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words below.
Jelly Roll will make his Austin City Limits debut on Saturday (Nov. 2), with the premiere of a six-song set that includes his Billboard Country Airplay chart top 5 hit “I Am Not Okay,” as well as chart-toppers including his four-week No. 1 Country Airplay hit “Need a Favor.”
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In an early look at the performance, Jelly Roll tells the audience just before launching into “I Am Not Okay,” “The thing about these shows are, is that it’s more than a concert, it’s more than music. It’s bigger than me, it’s bigger than the music, it’s about the message. It’s about redemption, it’s about second chances, it’s about being OK with not being OK sometimes.”
At one point during his ACL appearance, he tells the crowd about how he grew up watching the show, recalling that he had posters of artists including Willie Nelson and George Jones on his walls at home. He also pays homage to Austin by making the “Hook ‘Em Horns” hand sign, a symbol honoring the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns.
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To date, Jelly Roll has earned five No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits, and with his new album, Beautifully Broken, the Antioch, Tenn., native reached new career heights, with the set debuting at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.
The Nov. 2 episode featuring Jelly Roll’s debut performance will also feature husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty performing songs including “Blank Page” and “Leads Me Home.”
Jelly Roll’s Austin City Limits debut comes as ACL is celebrating its 50th anniversary season, honoring five decades of presenting music’s top artists. The 50th season has already featured performances from artists including Kacey Musgraves, Black Pumas, Maggie Rogers, Nickel Creek and Brittany Howard.
Get an exclusive early look at Jelly Roll’s ACL appearance with his performance of “I Am Not Okay” below:
Charli XCX is doing a full “360” on an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live, where the pop superstar will serve as both the host and the musical guest. On Thursday (Oct. 31), the long-running comedy show announced the host and musical guests for it’s next two episodes. Following John Mulaney and Chappell Roan’s pre-election […]